The Guardian
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: Neku is an angel, sent to the human world to protect Joshua, a human in an abusive family, and give him a better life. Eventually, though, Joshua sees Neku as more than a protector or friend. Will Neku return his feelings? Read to find out! Rated M for eventual content and language. Also, a surprise for my faithful readers when the lemon comes along
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Awesome, another story! This is about Neku being an angel, and he is sent to be Joshua's guardian. Eventually, though, Joshua wants Neku as more…Will Neku return those feelings? We shall see…Alternating Neku and Joshua POV's. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

The Guardian

Chapter 1

X*X(Neku's POV)X*X

I had been sent to the human world for another mission. This was a new one, seeing as my last mission had been successful. I had eliminated my target as instructed, so I was rather surprised when I was given a protection mission rather than an assassination mission.

"Are you serious, Mr. Hanekoma?" I had asked my leader. He nodded.

"Yes. With your skills, you can easily protect this one," he had told me. I merely nodded and left.

Now I was flying through the night sky, trying to spot the home of my newest subject, 17-year-old Yoshiya Kiryu. Suddenly, I caught sight of the silverette running along the streets being chased by some thugs. The boy looked terrified as he fled, so I knew the mission had already started.

I soared down to land in an alley nearby where they would pass, and quickly folded my wings, making them disappear so they wouldn't be visible. As soon as Yoshiya had passed, I leapt out, startling the thugs behind him into stopping, as well as the boy himself.

"Leave him alone," I growled lowly. The thugs laughed at me and proceeded to try and fight. I put a stop to that immediately by snapping my right leg up and smashing one of them in the face, causing him to stagger back, clutching his face in pain.

The next one got a swift punch to the face, and he cried out in agony as I twisted him around and snapped his arm out of its socket. The final thug tried to sneak up on me, but I whipped around, delivering a roundhouse kick to his head. He stumbled back, falling over his friends as he did.

"Leave. Now," I snapped, and the three dopes fled for their lives, yelling at each other to move. I turned to Yoshiya, who was staring at me, petrified. Sighing, I asked, "Yoshiya Kiryu?" He paled even more when I addressed him.

"How do you know my name?" he whispered.

"My name is Neku Sakuraba, and I'm your guardian angel," I told him. I was ordered to tell the person I was to protect who and what I am when I meet them, so that's why I gave a straight answer. I held out my hand to help him up, and he hesitantly took it as he stood.

"How do I know you're not out to get me like everyone else?" he muttered as he stood.

"Would you like to see my wings?" I offered, and his head snapped up to look at me, wide-eyed. "I'll take that as a yes," I chuckled, and then led him into the alley I had landed in. Concentrating, I allowed my wings to come out, and they unfolded, glowing a pale silvery gold. He stared at my wings, his eyes showing his feeling of awe and amazement.

"How…What…Why me?" he stammered, and I chuckled again.

"I was chosen as your guardian angel because you obviously have a hard life," I answered, folding my wings and making them disappear again. "It's the same with everyone who has a hard life. Each one will be sent a guardian angel, and I was chosen to be yours. Guardian angels have always existed, but not everyone believes in them, hence that's why you're doubtful."

He stared at me, seeming uncertain, but then he sighed as if in resignation. "Just call me Joshua," he muttered, and began to walk home. Suddenly, he paused as if realizing something. "Wait, how can you come home with me? My parents will kill me if I bring someone they don't know home!"

"That's why you're going to live with me until you're at the legal age to live on your own," I told him. He looked nervous, but nodded. "Don't worry, I'm going to keep you safe," I promised. "It's my job until you die of natural causes." He nodded again. "Let me guess, you need to get your belongings?" He nodded once more. "All right, let's go, then. We'll get to your home, wait until your parents are asleep, and then you can pack and we'll leave to my place."

"But where will you hide while we wait for them to fall asleep?" he asked.

"Easy. I'll hide in the tree by your window or something," I replied.

"All right, but how will I get out when it's time?" he inquired.

"I'll help you out, no sweat," I told him. "Now stop worrying, Joshua, soon you'll be safe."

"All right," he agreed, and he led the rest of the way to his parents' home in silence. Once there, I split off from him with a quick, "I'll see you soon," and climbed the tree by his bedroom window to wait.

X*X(Joshua's POV)X*X

I…can't believe it. I now have a guardian angel? How did this happen? My life is hard, I'll admit that, but I didn't think I deserved one…

"YOSHIYA!" my father's voice bellowed at me from the living room. I slowly shuffled into the room, unable to look him in the eye. "Where were you tonight?!" he demanded.

"I was being chased again…" I mumbled.

"Speak up, boy, or do you want another beating?!" he snarled.

"I was being chased again," I said, this time loud enough for him to hear. He nodded in approval, and then pointed upstairs.

"Go upstairs to your room, you fucking faggot," he growled, and I was swift to obey, scurrying up to my room and shutting the door quickly. Fortunately, Mother was passed out in their room from drinking, I guessed, for she hadn't said a thing through the doorway.

I sat on my creaky bed, starting to cry; now I understood why Neku was sent to be here for me. Now I was grateful that he was taking me away from them. They were monsters, not parents. They didn't deserve to be called parents. Suddenly, I felt arms encircling me, and I gasped.

"Joshua, it's me, Neku," the angel whispered in my ear.

"How did you get in?" I asked quietly.

"Window," was all he replied with, and he grip on me tightened slightly, causing me to feel a bit better. After I had calmed down, he asked, "Do you want to leave now?"

"Let me just grab some of my things," I whispered, not wanting to get my parents' attention. If they heard us, I'd be dead in a heartbeat.

"Okay, I'll be by the window," he murmured, and got up off my bed, barely making it creak, and leaned against the wall by the window.

I carefully got off of my bed once he was leaning against the wall, and quickly began to pack the few things I wanted to bring. Just some clothing and my valuables. Once I had my backpack on my shoulders, I approached Neku, who looked up at me when I joined him.

"Ready?" he asked softly, and I nodded.

"How are we getting out of here?" I asked. He smirked at me.

"Flying," he answered, and his wings came out again, glowing faintly in the dim light from the moon. He carefully grabbed me bridal-style, and then hopped out the window before I could protest, his wings snapping open, and then we were flying.

I gasped in shock and fear, and I felt Neku's gaze on me as he flew through the cool night. My hair whipped around my face as the air blew by, and I felt a chill run down my spine, causing me to shiver.

"We're almost there Joshua, and then you can warm up," Neku told me, and I nodded, huddling into his embrace a bit to keep warm. A few minutes passed, and then he began to descend, landing in the backyard of a small, cozy-looking, two-story house.

"We're here," he murmured, and carefully set me down. I stumbled a bit, but quickly regained my balance. He led me into the house, and I was quick to follow. I was surprised to find it was already furnished and everything. There were hardly any pictures, but I kinda figured as much. I followed Neku into the kitchen, where he began to prepare the tea kettle.

"You want some tea before you go to bed?" he asked.

"Sure," I mumbled, feeling strange. He noticed my tone, but didn't come over to me until the kettle was on the hot burner.

"Joshua, this is how a guardian angel protects their human," he told me, hugging me comfortingly. It was just a friendly hug, nothing more. He rested his chin on my head as I began to cry again. "I'm sorry, Joshua."

"It's not your fault," I whispered through my tears. "I've always wanted to leave my parents, but I was too scared they would find me. And even though I'm free now, I'm still scared."

"It'll be okay, Josh, I promise," he assured me. "I've erased their memories of you, so they'll never know you existed. You're safe from them now. I'll always protect you." I tightened my grip on him as I sobbed.

"Everything has changed so much so fast," I cried. He rubbed soothing circles on my back, and eventually, I fell asleep holding on to my guardian angel.

X*X(Neku's POV)X*X

When Joshua had fallen asleep in my arms, I sighed. I hadn't been a guardian angel in a few decades, so it would take some time for me to get the hang of this again. Mainly I was in the assassination business, so I hardly did protection work anymore. I wonder why Joshua was so important

I shrugged it off and turned off the burner for the stove before carrying him to bed, laying him down on the blankets. When I tried to pull away, though, he clung to me, whimpering a bit. I decided it wouldn't hurt to sleep with him tonight, just to make sure he would be okay.

Climbing into the bed with him, I unfolded a wing and curled it slightly over him like a blanket to keep him warm. Once he stopped squirming, I got myself comfortable and fell asleep soon after, hoping things would improve soon for Joshua.

X*X(Joshua's POV)X*X

I woke the next morning to a tickling sensation on my face. Blinking my eyes open, I was shocked to discover that I hadn't been dreaming after all about last night. It was all real! Neku was lying against me on his side, his wing curled over me like a blanket.

Carefully, I brought my hand up to move the feathers away from my face, trying desperately to not wake Neku, but he scrunched his nose up before opening his eyes, revealing those blue orbs to me.

"Mmmm…Joshua, morning," he murmured, starting to sit up. He stretched his arms up, causing his back to click in a couple places, before smiling at me. "Did you sleep well?"

"Um, yeah," I managed to answer, still amazed that this wasn't all a dream.

"Hm? What's wrong?" he asked.

"I thought this was all a dream, but it's not," I admitted quietly.

"Well, be thankful it isn't, since you're safe with me," Neku replied.

"How will this all work, anyway? What about school and everything else?" I asked as I thought about it.

"You're school records are already changed to make you as to where you're emancipated, and I'm going to be attending the school with you," he explained. "I'll be going with you everywhere to ensure your safety. Especially after last night."

I stared at him, shocked that he had everything covered already. "But won't people think it's strange that I'm suddenly living on my own?" I asked.

"That's already taken care of, too," he answered. "Another of the angels takes care of memory modification, seeing as she can do hers on a broader spectrum than I can. That's why I only erased your parents' memories of you. I couldn't modify them completely."

"You really covered al your bases, huh?" I stated, and he smirked.

"It's part of the job," he replied easily, and then began to climb out of bed. "Let's get you something to eat, seeing as you didn't last night."

"Sure," I agreed, and followed him to the kitchen.

"What would you like?" he asked once I had sat at the table. Startled at the question, I didn't respond right away. "How about some scrambled eggs and toast?"

"Um, sure," I replied, trying to come to terms that I had someone in my life who was nice to me now.

X*X(Neku's POV)X*X

Joshua remained deep in thought while I fixed our breakfast, and I was honestly curious as to what he was thinking about. Was he still thinking about this whole situation? I hoped he didn't hate me for this whole thing…After all, I'm partnered with him until he passes away of natural causes.

Once I finished making breakfast, I put a plate in front of him, as well as setting a plate at the spot I was to sit at next to him. As I fetched the strawberry jam and butter from the fridge, I noticed Joshua look up at me, a question in his violet eyes.

"What's up, Josh?" I asked. He jumped slightly, startled by my voice.

"…"

"Joshua, whatever it is, you can ask me," I promised.

"…How come you stayed with me last night?" he asked softly.

"Well, first of all, you wouldn't let go of my shirt, so I kinda had to, but even if you hadn't, I would have stayed," I answered. When he gave me a questioning look, I continued. "And the reason I would have stayed anyway is because I wanted to make sure you felt safe, secure, and comfortable."

"Oh…" he murmured, surprised by my answer. I laughed lightly.

"Remember, Joshua, I care about you, and more than a regular guardian would," I reminded him. "I haven't been a guardian angel in a few decades, but that doesn't mean I don't care. I used to be an assassin, actually."

"Who was your last target?" he asked suddenly, seeming bothered by that fact.

"Some ass who was trying to disrupt the balance between the angels and those who can see us when we're not human or guardians," I explained. "His name was Sho Minamimoto.

"Anyway, when an angel isn't on a mission here in the human world, they can come here, but can't be seen unless they hide their wings. But when we're on a mission here, we can be seen, wings or not. And when we're not visible, the only people who can see us are mediums and others who can see dead people and spirits."

"…Wow…" Joshua murmured, surprised yet again by my words.

"There's a lot you'll learn about guardian angels while I'm with you, Josh," I chuckled. "Now, eat up while it's still hot, okay?" He nodded and began to eat quickly, almost as though he suddenly realized how hungry he was.

I knew this would be interesting for us both, seeing as he was mine to protect, and I was his protector. I had a feeling being with Joshua would change a lot of things for me, but I had no idea how. I would find out eventually.

A/N: Finally, that took me a while to write! Now, I realize Neku and Joshua are pretty OOC here, but you gotta think about it: Neku is a guardian angel, sent to protect Joshua, and he nice in this, whereas Joshua has been abused most of his life. Joshua has to be quiet and almost humble in this for it to work, hehe. Well, you'll see how this turns out eventually! R&R, peeps!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: ZOMFG, I'M SO SORRY ABOUT THE LATE UPDATE! I lost everything on my flash drive the morning after I posted the first chapter, so I was busy trying to recover it all…But now to rewrite everything on my new flash drive! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

The Guardian

Chapter 2

X*X(Joshua's POV)X*X

Later on, Neku suggested that we go shopping for his school supplies for the classes he would be attending with me. When he did, I gave him a confused look, but agreed to go to the store. On the way there, I asked, "Why do you need to get supplies for my classes?"

"They're gonna be my supplies, but I'm attending your classes so I can protect you, remember?" he reminded me. I nodded in understanding, and we walked in. As we got a small shopping cart, Neku asked, "What classes do you have, anyway?"

"Um…Well, I could have had 7 classes, but I ended up only taking 5, my last 2 classes being free periods, and that way I can get out early. But anyway, I have psychology, art, math, creative writing, and gym," I answered.

"All right, so I'll need 3 notebooks and a sketchbook," he murmured to himself, then nodded. We walked through the store, and Neku picked up the 4 items, plus some pencils, a pack of colored pencils, and a pencil sharpener. As we went to go pay, I realized something.

"How do you get the money for everything?" I asked.

"I'll explain when we get home," he told me as he paid, and a strange feeling washed over me at the mention of the word. _Home_. I wasn't in those monsters' house anymore, and it was never home in the first place. Home is where you're safe, right? Well, Neku was right in calling that house we now lived in 'home'. As promised, he explained when we got home.

"Mr. H, the head angel, is the one who provides me with the money for while on missions," he said. "Basically, while I'm here with you, which is until you die of natural causes, then he provides me with all the money we'll need."

"Ah, okay," I nodded. Another question occurred to me then. "Neku, how did you become an angel?"

X*X(Neku's POV)X*X

Oh no. He really asked me that? The memories I always kept locked away started to flow back, the ones from my beginning as an angel. I cringed when he asked as the flashbacks started…

X*X(Flashback)X*X

_I was 17 years old, and trying to find an angel to speak to. I noticed them sometimes when I would walk around the town, but I never spoke to them. See, there were some people who could see them, and the rest couldn't. Sometimes they appeared to everyone in their human forms, but not always._

_As I later learned, angels, when on missions, could be seen when showing their wings or not, and when not on missions, could only be seen without their wings. I was one of the gifted ones who could see the angels no matter what._

_Anyway, my mother was deathly ill, and I was incredibly close to her. My father was no longer around; he had left the family shortly after I was born, and I had no siblings. I was willing to do anything for my mother, even sacrifice myself for her. Eventually, I found an angel heading into an alley as he was about to go back to the realm of the angels._

_I approached him, saying softly, "Angel, please, I need your help." I then proceeded to explain the story, and how I was willing to do anything, even die, to save her._

"_You truly care about her, don't you?" he asked, his sunglasses sliding down his nose a bit as he looked down at me_

"_Yes sir, I really do," I murmured, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes._

"_Well, I'll help ya, but in exchange, I want you to become an angel," he told me. My blue eyes widened at his words._

"_Of course!" I agreed immediately. "How do I cure her?" He pulled out a tiny vial of clear liquid and handed it to me._

"_Give her this as soon as you can, and she'll recover within a few days' time," he explained. "As for when I want you to become an angel…Meet me in this alley on your 18th birthday. You'll become an angel then."_

"_Thank you so much, sir," I thanked him gratefully._

"_No problem, Neku," he told me. "And another thing: call me Mr. Hanekoma or Mr. H."_

"_Yes, Mr. H," I replied, and thanked him once more before running off to the hospital where my mother was being kept. Once the nurses left her room, waving to me as they left, I dashed in, opening the vial and tipping the contents into her mouth and ensuring she swallowed all of the liquid._

_Mr. Hanekoma had been right; a few days later, she was discharged from the hospital and deemed fully recovered._

_I spent every single day for the next month with her, until the day I turned 18 arrived. That morning, I hugged my mother tight around her waist, told her I loved her with all my heart, and then left to the alley without telling her about it._

_I hadn't told her about my deal because I didn't want her to be upset or scared or try to change things, even though I knew she would be so upset when she realized I was gone. When I died that day, it was with a small smile._

X*X(End Of Flashback)X*X

I was shaking at the memories of the pain and depression I had suffered through during my first few years as an angel. Suddenly, I felt Joshua's embrace, and when I felt the hot tears that trickled down my cheeks, I understood why. We stayed like that for a while, Joshua simply hugging me as I cried on his shoulder.

Eventually, I pulled away, feeling better, and I said, "Thank you, Joshua."

"You're welcome, Neku," he replied, smiling slightly. "You've been comforting me, now it's my turn."

"I'll tell you how I became an angel if you still want me to," I offered.

"I do, but not if it's gonna make you upset again," he said.

"I'll be okay now," I assured him, and shared the whole story. When I finished, I added, "That's why I'm such a good fighter."

"Why?" he asked, confused.

"Because I started early," I answered. "I watched others as they trained, and studied their movements, techniques, and styles, and eventually, I taught myself those techniques. When I officially started training, I was far more advanced than other angels that were starting at the same time, so I was brought into the higher training. I mastered all of that, and then I was trained with my sword. I was taught every technique that could be learned with my type of sword, and I even taught myself some moves that only I can pull off."

"Is that how you took down those thugs last night?" Joshua asked.

"Well, I barely used any of my full strength, to be honest," I admitted. "I've only had to use my full strength against Sho, during my last assassination mission. But otherwise, I've hardly ever used it."

"Wow…" the silverette murmured. After that, we chatted about meaningless things, the occasional question about angels thrown in here and there. It was nice, and we had a good time getting closer.

X*X(Joshua's POV)X*X

Monday morning came along, and with it, my usual insecurities. Neku and I walked to the school, and he adapted well to school life. It was at lunch, though, that we ran into problems. We were walking outside to find a shady spot under a tree to sit at to eat our sack lunches when one of my usual bullies yelled, "Hey, faggot! Finally found yourself a boyfriend?"

Neku, being the quick-witted being he is, called back, "I dunno, did you find that brain in your skull lying around somewhere?" The remark made the bully red with fury, and some of the kids around us snickered. I watched nervously as some of his lackeys sauntered up behind him.

The bully Neku insulted lunged at him, fist primed to sock him, but the angel side-stepped out of the way. When the moron went for Neku again, though, the ginger swiftly spun, grabbing and twisting the bully's arm back into a pin against the building wall.

"You are to leave Joshua alone from here on out, got it?!" Neku hissed at him, and the bully just managed to nod in his pinned position. Neku released him and spat, "Go, now."

They scrambled over each other in their haste to leave, and Neku joined me again. As we resumed walking to a shady tree, I murmured, "Neku, that was amazing! Thank you."

"It's all part of being a guardian angel," he assured me, and then asked, "Why does everyone seem to call you faggot, Joshua?"

"Because I'm gay and not afraid to show it," I admitted, blushing ever-so-slightly.

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that people insult you for something that you can't help but be," he apologized softly.

"It's not your fault, Neku," I assured him, giggling a bit. "It's my choice. I'm just glad that you're here now, though."

"And I'm happy to beat the shit out of assholes like that," Neku chuckled.

"As long as we're both happy, right?" I giggled.

"Exactly," he agreed, and we sat down to eat.

X*X(Neku's POV)X*X

I was pleasantly surprised that schooling here hadn't changed much in the last century. Going through the classes would have been tougher for me had I not gained most of my education already before dying. I had almost completed high school myself when I died, and the fact that I was going to fully complete it made me kinda happy, to be honest.

Also, learning that Joshua is gay was a surprise for me. When I was still alive, there weren't many gay people, considering the fact that they were accepted back then. I noticed some, and there would be a few gay couples holding hands every now and then, but that would be it. Otherwise I hardly noticed them, and I've always been extremely observant and perceptive.

That's another reason I was perfect for assassination missions. I can tell when there's danger before others can. I don't know how it works; I guess I just sense it. That's also why I'm perfect for protecting Joshua.

Anyway, after we finished eating our lunch, we went back inside for the last class of the day, gym. I knew I would ace this easily, seeing as I'm an angel, but I was more concerned for Joshua. I didn't know how good at gym he was, but I wasn't going to ask. I would watch him and see how he did.

Ms. Yashiro, the gym teacher, partnered us up, and I had had Mr. Hanekoma arrange that I was always partnered with Joshua in classes, even in gym. He had obviously done his job, because I got Joshua. We were to play badminton, and I went easy on him at first, just to see how he did, and I quickly had to up my game. He was good at this game, but I wouldn't be beaten so easily.

Eventually, halfway through the hour, Ms. Yashiro had us all run laps in the gym, and I kept my stride even with Joshua's. When he gave me a challenging look, though, I picked up the pace right as he did, and soon enough, we were ahead of everyone else. Joshua laughed a bit from the exhilaration, and I chuckled at his laughter.

Once we had to go change, though, we slowed to a stop outside the boys' locker room and went inside to change. After I finished getting into my regular clothes, I waited on the silverette to finish, and then we grabbed our things and left. As we walked back home, though, I asked, "How'd you get so good at sports, Josh?"

"Oh, I've always been like that, and my running became better when I started to have to deal with the bullies," he admitted. "I'll still always be a good runner, though, even though I don't have to worry about being chased anymore."

"I'm surprised you haven't tried track or anything," I told him.

"Well, I would, but then I'd have had to deal with even more shit than I would have liked," he shrugged. "Not that I enjoyed it in the first place."

"No one enjoys being bullied," I agreed. "I'm also surprised that hardly anyone accepts gays anymore, it seems. During my time, gays were fully accepted."

"Times change, I guess," he said, but then he seemed to realize something. "Wait, the last time gays were accepted amongst society here was just over a century ago. Neku, how old are you, anyway?"

"Wait until we get home and I'll answer that," I muttered. Man, the guy was making me feel like I was ancient, which I'm not compared to most angels.

"All right, if you say so," Josh giggled. I chuckled as well, knowing my answer would shock him.

A/N: Again, I'm SO sorry about this late update, and now I'm sorry about the cut-off! I'm on a time limit right now, so I needed to post this while I could! I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I'll try to post the next one before the week is over, okay? R&R, peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: All right, sorry for the slow updates, people, but it's going to be like this for the next year and a half or so. I have no choice in the matter, and it's way too long of a story to explain, so please don't ask. Anyway, enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

The Guardian

Chapter 3

X*X(Joshua's POV)X*X

I trusted Neku to tell me when we got home, and I didn't blame him for waiting until we got back. We dropped our stuff off by the closet near the front door, and then Neku sat me down on the couch. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"Please don't be startled, Joshua," he told me. "To tell you the truth, I'm 121 years old. I died 103 years ago, when I was 18, and learned everything I needed to about fighting very quickly; much faster than other angels in the past have."

I stared at him for a moment, surprised, and then said, "You had me scared, Neku! The way you made it seem, I would have thought you were much older!"

Neku watched me carefully for a few seconds, and then spoke up. "I thought you would be shocked to know how old I am, Josh. How come you're not shocked?"

"It just makes sense to me," I told him honestly. "You already seem like you're older than you look, which is pretty obvious when I talk with you. You're also wiser than anyone is at 18 years old these days, so the fact that you're 121 years old simply makes sense to me."

"…You're…honestly not scared by that?" he questioned.

"Of course not, Neku!" I assured him. "Look, I trust you, so trust me when I say that I'm truly not bothered by it."

"…All right, I trust you," Neku smiled.

"Well then, now that that's settled, let's get the homework done, shall we?" I suggested, and we got to work on the school work for that night. Later, we ate dinner and went to bed, Neku sleeping next to me in the full-size bed. I blushed slightly when he lay next to me, and I prayed he didn't notice. But I fell asleep that night feeling peaceful for the second time in a very long time.

X*X(Neku's POV)X*X

This routine went on for the next 4 months. Each day, when we had school, Joshua and I would attend our classes, go home after gym, work on our homework, eat, and then go to bed. I could tell he felt something whenever I crawled into the bed with him each night, seeing as I felt the heat from his cheeks when he would blush. I wasn't sure why the house only had one full-size bed rather than two, but I just went with it. I was fine sharing a bed with Josh, but I just couldn't quite tell how he felt about it.

Every Saturday, we always went out and did something that was fun and time consuming. Whether it was checking out CD's for my collection or looking at clothes for Joshua, it was always fun.

Each Sunday, though, we would simply stay home and play video games or work on any last minute homework we had put off from Friday. It was 4 months to the day that Joshua and I had met, however, that we changed things up, per his request.

Saturday morning, Joshua came out of our room, fully dressed for the day in his usual attire, and sat at the table to wait for breakfast. Once I gave him his plate, he asked, "Neku, can we…um…" He trailed off, blushing a bit.

"Can we what, Josh?" I asked, curious. "You can ask, ya know."

"Can we…go out for dinner tonight?" Joshua asked, his face a darker pink now.

"Sure, Josh," I said with a smile. "That sounds good. Where would you like to go out to?"

"Would the ramen shop down the street be okay?" he asked.

"Of course," I agreed. "We can go out today as usual and then go to the ramen shop around 6."

"Okay, sounds good," the silverette nodded, still blushing slightly.

So, once we were ready, we left and went out shopping for the day as usual. I noticed, throughout the day, that Joshua seemed nervous and kinda jumpy. When I questioned him about it, though, he told me nothing was wrong. I shrugged it off and just went with it.

Finally, when it was 6 in the evening, Joshua led me to the ramen shop he had spoken of. We walked side by side, and he eventually took the lead when I wasn't sure where to go. When we reached the ramen shop, Josh gently tugged me by the hand to a booth, where we sat across from one another. I noticed the blush that crawled up his neck as he held my hand, and I felt a strange feeling come over me. I couldn't quite understand it, but I the sense that it had to do with Joshua.

"You okay, Neku?" Joshua's voice asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I shook my head slightly to clear it, and then answered.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I told him with a smile. "How about you?"

"Same here," he giggled. We ordered our ramen, and while we ate, we just talked. About random things, and things to complain about with some of our classmates and teachers and the homework. Shortly before we left, though, he began stuttering a bit as he spoke, a sign he was nervous. When we left, I turned to him and finally decided to press him about what was going through his mind.

"Joshua, what's with you? You've been nervous all day. What's going on?" I demanded, placing my hands on my hips.

X*X(Joshua's POV)X*X

_Oh no, he's definitely noticed_, I thought in a panic. Neku had noticed how nervous I had been and finally decided to pry an answer from me.

"Can we at least wait until we're home?" I begged, pleading with my violet eyes. His blue eyes seemed doubtful and confused, but he nodded and allowed me to lead him home. All the while, panicked thoughts flew through my mind. _What if he doesn't feel that way? What if he doesn't like me back? What if he's not gay? What if, what if, what if…_

When we arrived, Neku unlocked the door, and we stepped inside, the angel locking the door behind us. He turned to me, and asked again, "Okay, now what's wrong, Joshua?"

Gulping nervously, I spoke in a timid voice. "Neku…the past four months have been amazing, and I'm extremely grateful you came to protect me. Over time, though, I've grown more attached, and…the thing is, Neku…I like you. As a matter of fact…I think I love you."

Neku was still, unmoving. A few seconds passed, and when he still didn't react, I lowered my head in shame. He didn't return my feelings…not at all…I had begun to turn to go upstairs when I felt him grab my hand.

"Neku…?" I questioned.

"Josh, I'm sorry…" he said, and I felt the sting of tears starting form in my eyes. I tried to tug my hand out of his, but his grip tightened. "Joshua, wait, listen to me."

"What?" I whispered, my voice nearly silent. Tears started to flow from my eyes, and Neku reached to wipe them away. I jerked my head away, hurt that he didn't feel the same way.

"Josh, hear me out," he commanded, and I stilled from my weak, pathetic struggle to get away. "I'm sorry, but not because of your feelings. I was apologizing for not reacting sooner. I do feel the same way, I promise. I love you, Joshua."

I stiffened, unable to believe what I had just heard. My eyes widened, and I stared at him, unable to believe it. I thought he was just toying with me, trying to make me feel better, but…when I looked into his deep blue eyes, I could tell he was speaking the truth. Suddenly, he pulled me towards him and kissed me. His lips were soft and smooth, and the scent of his skin was amazing and pure, like sunshine.

When he gently brushed the tip of his tongue across my bottom lip, I gasped, and he took that as an invitation to deepen the kiss, sweeping his tongue through my mouth. I moaned slightly at the sensation, but that seemed to snap Neku out of it. He pulled away slowly and gently, sucking slightly on my tongue as he did so. I was breathing quickly and trying to catch my breath as he smiled softly at me.

"Does that prove that I love you?" he asked me, and I nodded once, hugging him tightly. He hugged me back, wrapping his arms and wings around me.

"I love you," I whispered into his chest, and he nuzzled my hair, whispering back, "I love you, too."

X*X(Neku's POV)X*X

We fell asleep that night holding each other, both of us wrapped in the other's arms. I kept my wings wrapped around him as well, keeping him comfortable. I had been pleasantly surprised by Josh's confession, but in the end, I was extremely pleased with the outcome. I smirked to myself as I continued to lay in bed with my new boyfriend; I knew I would be the seme of this relationship.

Yawning, I sat up slowly, carefully pulling away from my lover and getting up from the bed. I decided to make a special breakfast this morning, something I hadn't made since I was alive. I was making crepes, a French breakfast pastry that you can put jam, jelly, or cream cheese on. While I waited for them to finish cooking, I pulled out the seedless strawberry jam, cream cheese, and powdered sugar, as well as plates, forks, and knives.

As I was pulling the crepes off the electric griddle, I felt Joshua's arms encircle my waist, hugging me from behind. I quickly placed the last of them on the platter before turning around and kissing him softly.

"Morning, Josh," I greeted when we parted for air.

"Good morning, Neku," Joshua whispered. I kissed him again; a small chaste kiss, and then led him to the table. The silverette looked at the food curiously, and asked, "What are these?"

"They're crepes, a French breakfast pastry that I haven't made since I was alive," I told him. "And the best part is that you can put jam, jelly, or cream cheese on them. I always top mine with powdered sugar, that's why I pulled that out." And with that, I showed him what to do. I spread a thin layer of cream cheese on first, followed with a dollop of strawberry jam, and then I rolled the crepe up, the sides overlapping on the top as I topped the crepe with some whipped cream and powdered sugar.

Joshua copied my actions and took a bite. As soon as it was in his mouth, he hummed in pleasure from the taste. "Neku, this is amazing!" he praised once he swallowed.

"I'm glad you like it," I smiled. "My mother and I would make these a lot back when I was little, and once I was old enough, she taught me how to make them."

"Well, no matter what, these are delicious," Josh insisted.

"Yeah, I think this is the best batch I've ever made," I agreed.

We finished eating our breakfast, and for the rest of the day, we just chatted and worked on the last of our homework. When that was done, we cuddled on the couch together and kissed occasionally as the TV's sound went on in the background. That had to be one of the best days of my afterlife, and I was certain it had to be the best day of Joshua's life as well.

A/N: I'm so freaking sorry this took forever to post, but I'm living at home with my family again, and they don't know I'm still writing these stories. I have to do this when I'm either home alone, or when I get some time for some peace and quiet. I'll do my best to try and update sooner, but I can't make any guarantees. Hope you like this chapter, guys! R&R, peeps!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Well, here's the new chapter, and I hope it's not been too long of a wait! This is the last chapter, so I hope you like it! Sorry this fic is so short, but I'm starting to run out of inspiration for Joshua/Neku stories…If anyone wants to review and let me know of any story ideas that I haven't already done, that would be great! Thanks for all the faves and reviews for the past three chapters, guys!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

The Guardian

Chapter 4

X*X(Joshua's POV)X*X

It had been three months since I had confessed my feelings for Neku to him, and our relationship had been completely smooth the whole time. Neku protected me, cared for me, and loved me unconditionally. The fact that the angel was even in my life was amazing, and I would always be grateful to him. Every day was always taken together, and Neku always stood by my side.

I watched him as he slept next to me, watching his peaceful face. I gently stroked the feathers of his silvery wings as I waited for him to wake, and then his eyelids fluttered open.

"Joshua," he murmured, yawning. "Morning."

"Good morning," I whispered, and kissed him. His eyes opened wider, and then he closed them, kissing me back enthusiastically. I still had to be the one who pulled away for air.

"And what was that for?" he asked, smirking at me.

"It's our three month anniversary, Neku," I reminded him, and his eyes widened.

"Three months already, huh?" he said, and then added, "We'll have to do something special, then."

"What do you mean?" I asked, a bit confused.

"You'll see," was all he said. I trusted Neku, so I didn't question him, but I was still curious.

X*X(Neku's POV)X*X

I knew what I was going to do with Joshua tonight to celebrate our three month anniversary; we were gonna have sex. I didn't want to force him, but I could tell he was ready. I actually heard him once in the bathroom one night after a small make-out session we'd had the other week, so I knew he was ready. He had whimpered my name as he came, trying not to be heard, but I had heard him because of my sensitive hearing.

We spent our Saturday just having a good time as usual, just shopping and talking. When it was nighttime, though, I made a special dinner of chicken and rice, and then we cuddled together on the couch while a movie played on the TV. Five minutes into the movie, I made my move.

I started to kiss Joshua, and as the kiss deepened, I slowly began to straddle him, causing him to gasp into my mouth as I did so. I opened my eyes and pulled back a bit, sucking on his bottom lip, and he opened his violet eyes halfway, watching me. His half-lidded eyes suddenly snapped open as I slid a hand up his shirt, and his face quickly turned bright red. He kinda struggled a bit, pulling away, and asked, "Neku, what're you doing?"

"What do you think is gonna happen here?" I asked in a seductive tone.

His blush darkened, and he whispered, "Can we at least do this in the bedroom?"

I chuckled and nodded, carrying him to the bedroom and continuing to kiss my lover. When we got to the bedroom, I pulled my headphones off quickly and set them on the dresser as we passed it. I gently placed Joshua on the bed and kissed him deeply, and he moaned into my mouth as I slid my hand into his pants and past his boxers, beginning to pump him until he was completely hard.

"Neku…" Josh moaned, and I smirked as I pulled his pants and boxers off. He began to tug my shirt off, and I unbuttoned his after my shirt was off, and then he pulled my cargoes and boxers off. I was hard as hell, and ready to fuck my boyfriend into the mattress, but I needed to prepare him first, especially since it would be both our first time.

I quickly opened the bedside table drawer and fished out the jar of lube, swiftly unscrewing the top and slathering some on my fingers. When I pressed one of my fingers against Josh's entrance, he tensed.

"Joshua, you've gotta relax, or this is gonna hurt like no other, okay? Trust me," I told him, and he whimpered, forcing himself to relax.

X*X(Joshua's POV)X*X

I trusted Neku completely, so I willed my body to relax. Once I wasn't tensed up anymore, Neku slipped a finger into my entrance, making me squeak with surprise from the feeling. As I adjusted to the feeling, Neku slipped in a second finger, and I moaned from the wonderful feeling.

I couldn't help the moans that slipped past my lips as Neku stuck in the third finger, stretching me wide. When the fingers left me, I whimpered from the empty sensation. Suddenly, I felt something hot and hard press against my entrance.

"Ready?" Neku asked, his eyes dark from lust as he watched me.

"Yes," I breathed, and Neku slowly pushed into me. Holy shit, he was much bigger than I had expected. He stopped when he was fully in, waiting for me to adjust to the sensation of him filling me. I gave a small nod when I was ready, and he slowly started to thrust until I encouraged him to increase the pace by saying so.

He pulled almost completely out, and then slammed back in, hard, making me scream in pleasure as he hit something sweet inside of me.

"Neku, there!" I gasped, and he raised my hips slightly, allowing him to hit that same spot with each thrust.

X*X(Neku's POV)X*X

"I'm getting close…" I hissed through my teeth as I felt myself approach my climax. _Already that close…_ I thought to myself as I continued to thrust. I slammed into him, hard, continuing the fast and rough pace I had set. Joshua wasn't arguing, though, and seemed to really enjoy it, if his moans of pleasure were anything to go by.

I bit his neck, causing him to give a pleasured cry. As I licked the bitten spot better, I began to pump Joshua in time with my thrusts, and his moans increased in pitch and frequency.

I thrust faster as he tightened his grip on my back, digging his nails into my skin. Hissing through my teeth, my thrusts became erratic. I kissed my lover deeply and passionately, sweeping my tongue through his mouth and tasting the sweet taste that was Joshua.

"I love you," Josh moaned as I thrust harder into him, and I smirked.

"I love you, too," I panted. Finally, my climax hit me, and I bit Josh's collarbone as I came. He cried out as our passion became scorching hot, and he released over our stomachs, moaning my name as he did. When my orgasm had ended, I slowly pulled out, and the silverette gasped quietly as I did so.

Once I had pulled out, I held Josh close to me, kissing him gently on the lips. He snuggled into my shoulder, tucking his head under my chin. "I love you, Joshua," I whispered in his ear.

"I love you, too, Neku," Joshua mumbled, sounding exhausted. I smiled softly as I kissed his forehead, closing my eyes before we fell asleep.

A/N: Well, I know it's short, but here's the end! I'm so sorry I ended this so soon, but I was running out of inspiration for this. I hope you guys enjoyed the series, and I'll try to post another story soon! R&R, peeps!


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